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South Dakota School for the Deaf P R O G R A M M I N G S T U D Y | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7

7601 Jef ferson NE, Sui te 100 , A lbuquerque, NM 87109 / 505 .761 .9700 / dpsdesign.org

South Dakota Schoo l fo r the Deaf | P rogramming Study

D E K K E R / P E R I C H / S A B AT I N I

INTRODUCTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................1

EVOLUTION OF SDSD ..................................................................................................................3

CURRENT SDSD OPERATIONS ....................................................................................................4

PROGRAM

SPACE NEEDS ..............................................................................................................................7

NUMERIC PROGRAM ..................................................................................................................9

SPACE DIAGRAMS ......................................................................................................................11

SPACE SCENARIOS

NARRATIVE ..................................................................................................................................23

SPACE DIAGRAMS ......................................................................................................................25

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

MEETING REPORTS

Dekker/Perich/Sabatini 7601 Jefferson NE, Suite 100 Albuquerque, NM 87109 tel 505.761.9700fax 505.761.4222 dpsdesign.org

tab le of contents

D E K K E R / P E R I C H / S A B AT I N I 1


INTRODUCTIONexecut ive summary

SDSD BACKGROUNDThe South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD) has supported children who are deaf and hard of hearing, and their families, since 1880. Over the past two decades SDSD has transitioned from offering an onsite, residential educational program to providing outreach-only services to young children and students enrolled in school districts throughout the state. Currently SDSD occupies space within multiple wings of the existing main building. The western portion of the original campus was sold for private development, many spaces within the existing main building have been leased out to South Dakota State University (SDSU), University of South Dakota (USD), and South Dakota Association of the Deaf (SDAD), and other organizations use spaces such as the pool and conference center for specific events.

SDSD provides vital programs to children and their families throughout the state, ranging from long-term home-based and school-based outreach services, to wide-ranging audiology screenings and on-campus evaluations, family instruction, and summer enrichment. SDSD currently serves 537 students through outreach services, conducts 20 educational evaluations per

Existing SDSD Campus in Sioux Falls, SD

year, provides summer enrichment for 30 students, and in the past year provided 14,053 audiology screenings and 4,918 audiology evaluations.

SDSD’s Sioux Falls campus houses staff associated with the school’s administration, audiology, and outreach departments, along with shared resources and support spaces. The existing spaces meet SDSD’s needs fairly well and SDSD has a strong desire to remain on the campus due to its history. However, the current SDSD spaces are inefficiently used, lacking in some ideal adjacencies and technology, and located within a large 1979 building which requires management of multiple tenants and maintenance of a large, aging campus that will require additional investment in the future. In addition, the campus includes a separate Gym/Pool building which is not needed by SDSD, but houses mechanical equipment that serves the main building.

PROGRAMMING PROCESSThe scope of this study focuses on determining SDSD’s functional space needs and preparing a written report that can be used to inform strategies to condense SDSD’s space within the existing campus or identify buildings or sites that could meet

14,053 audiology screenings

4,918 audiology evaluations

&

537 STUDENTS receiving outreach services

20 STUDENTS evaluated

30 STUDENTS in summer enrichment program

STUDENTS CURRENTLY SERVED BY SDSD:

D E K K E R / P E R I C H / S A B AT I N I2


SDSD’s needs through space rental or new construction. The study’s scope does not include design solutions or cost estimates, but some general thoughts have been provided on potential space scenarios.

In order to evaluate SDSD’s space needs, multiple meetings were held with the leaders of each department to discuss current and future needs, and existing spaces were reviewed in person and via plan drawings. These discussions informed the creation of both a numeric program of spaces and typical space diagrams that represent SDSD’s true space needs, if spaces were designed for those specific needs. Creating these spaces would require either reconfiguring spaces within the existing building through a renovation project, or vacating/selling the existing building to create a new, smaller facility on a vacant portion of the campus or another site.

Summary of Space Needs/Strategies (Not Including Garage)

This program of spaces was also reviewed in preliminary form with SDSD staff and with the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR). It represents ideal conditions to balance SDSD’s program needs with space efficiency and would enable SDSD to reduce operational costs associated with maintaining the entire campus in order to occupy a small portion of the campus.However, SDBOR is considering a range of issues including not only SDSD’s needs but also the needs of other state tenants such as SDSU and USD, and financial strategies related to the sale or rental of the current campus. For this reason, a backfill plan diagram was created to demonstrate how SDSD’s spaces could be condensed within the existing building with minimal physical changes. This would enable additional space to be rented to tenants, with some compromises on SDSD’s functions and space efficiency.

SPACE STRATEGY

MAIN BUILDING

GSF

VACANT GYM/ POOL BUILDING

TOTAL CAMPUS SF

SERVICE SF (UNUSABLE)

OCCUPIED BY SDSD

% OCCUPIED BY SDSD

CURRENTLY LEASED

ADDITIONAL SPACE

AVAILABLE FOR LEASE

Existing Conditions 76,792 14,996 91,788 12,233 31,466 34% 26,353 21,736

Reconfiguring Onsite 76,792 14,996 91,788 12,233 21,850 24% 26,353 31,352

Condensing Onsite Without

Reconfiguration 76,792 14,996 91,788 12,233 15,406 17% 26,353 37,796

New Space Elsewhere 18,353 18,353 100%

* The numbers above were obtained by scaling SDSD-provided PDF drawings and should be verified by as-built measurements. Service numbers include major mechanical spaces as well as smaller MEP areas.



This report provides details on the recent evolution of SDSD, SDSD’s current operations and programs, SDSD’s ideal space needs, and potential scenarios for providing that space.

SDSD’s services have evolved over the past 20 years based on a combination of outside factors which have affected SDSD enrollment/demand, and decisions about SDSD operations which have contributed to those changes. SDSD transitioned from a full residential program to a day program only in 2005, based on declining enrollment. The day program was only able to serve local students who could commute daily within the Sioux Falls area. Since the Sioux Falls School District already had their own teacher of the deaf and interpreters, and did not need to send students to SDSD, the day program dwindled in enrollment over a period of several years.

When SDSD transitioned to the current outreach-only model in 2009, enrolled day students were transferred to other schools. Auditory-oral students transferred to Brandon Valley School District, and

INTRODUCTIONevolut ion of SDSD

this program was discontinued after the needs of that cohort of students were met. American Sign Language (ASL) students transferred to the Harrisburg School District, but many of these students subsequently moved out of state so program enrollment has now dwindled to a single student and may be discontinued. Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD), a private corporation that had a long relationship with SDSD and employed a significant number of local deaf adults, relocated from Sioux Falls, SD to Austin, TX in 2012. Many deaf employees followed them to Austin. SDSD has anecdotal evidence that some additional families have moved out of state in order to enroll their child in a full-service school for the deaf.

SDSD is concerned that while the school continues to serve significant numbers of children statewide, there is a perception amongst the deaf community and residents of Sioux Falls that the school is closed and no longer exists. This impression has been reinforced by media reports about the programmatic changes and the sale of a portion of the original campus.



SDSD is currently serving deaf and hard of hearing students throughout South Dakota through the following programs:• SDSD provided 14,053 audiology

screenings and 4,918 audiology evaluations in the past year

• Outreach services are provided to 537 students throughout the state

• The summer enrichment program serves 30 students from Sioux Falls and Rapid City

• Comprehensive educational evaluations are provided for approximately 20 students per year.

SDSD currently has 16 full-time staff and 3 part-time staff on the Sioux Falls campus, including 2 FT and 3 PT staff in administration, 4 FT staff in Audiology, 8 FT staff in Outreach, and 2 FT support staff.

AUDIOLOGYAudiology services are provided in Sioux Falls via the on-campus audiology clinic and throughout the state via the mobile clinic. SDSD has 2 audiologists and 2 technicians based in Sioux Falls, and expects this level of staffing to remain consistent since any growth in Audiology would likely occur elsewhere in the state. One audiologist conducts screenings and evaluations onsite, and the other in the mobile lab. The two technicians support both audiologists with scheduling, ordering, scanning, and processing paperwork. The audiologists are also part of the evaluation team.

Over 95% of the screenings conducted by SDSD are conducted by the mobile lab. The mobile lab is used 4-5 times per week, and is busiest during the school year. The mobile audiology lab is currently secured in an offsite garage due to its size and value, which adds to staff travel time every time it is used. SDSD would strongly prefer to house it onsite, within a garage

bay to protect the lab from vandalism and winter weather. The lab has a 26’ long by 13’ tall truck box and an overall length of 41’. The lab is operated all year (weather permitting), but electronic equipment frequently has to be brought inside the building during the winter to prevent damage. A storage area is needed for temporary equipment storage, and to store bulk forms and other supplies. A file room is needed so that active hard copy files can be accessed by the audiologists, techs, receptionist, or outreach consultants as needed. SDSD keeps all hard copy forms for at least one year; after one year the normal screening results are shredded.

SDSD just purchased and installed a new audiology booth for the onsite audiology clinic, which also includes a workstation for the audiologist, a small consulting table, and a small lab/workroom to perform short-term tasks like checking earmolds, fixing hearing aids, and setting tubes. The onsite clinic sees 5-6 children per day, with roughly 1-hour long appointments to conduct an evaluation and write a report. Typically, SDSD’s receptionist conducts an initial phone interview and gives parents paperwork upon arrival. The audiologist does a brief interview, then tests the child within the booth, then does a brief verbal report before completing the written report. The consulting is currently done right within the booth or at a 4 person table in the room.

INTRODUCTIONcurrent SDSD operat ions

Recently purchased audiology booth

Existing audiology tech office (oversized, in old classroom)

Existing audiologist office (fairly typical)



OUTREACHSDSD offers a variety of outreach services that include home-based, school-based, and on-campus services. Early intervention services for young children are typically provided in the home, to provide families with information and social/networking opportunities, demonstrate listening technologies, work with other service providers, and participate in the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). School-based services support local school professionals throughout the state with staff in-services, technical assistance with listening technologies, classroom peer presentations, educational materials, and participation in the development of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan.

Additional services provided on the Sioux Falls campus include comprehensive educational evaluations, evening ASL classes for family members, other social/networking events, and the summer enrichment program. The evaluation team is composed mainly of outreach consultants for whom this is an additional responsibility, with additional itinerant/contract staff that includes a psychologist and a speech language pathologist (SLP) who is contracted as needed. Evaluations are conducted approximately 5 times per year, with each session consisting of 4 students evaluated for 2 full days as part of either an initial evaluation or an annual or 3-year re-evaluation. Families and students remain onsite for 2 days while cycling through a series of evaluation sessions, and the evaluation team gathers for a debrief meeting the day after evaluations are completed.

Currently 8 outreach staff are based on the Sioux Falls campus, including the Director, Coordinator, and 6 outreach consultants.

SDSD anticipates that 1 additional position may be needed in the future, which could be an additional outreach consultant or an ASL specialist. Office space is needed for these staff members, along with smaller touchdown spaces for contract providers. Consultants spend approximately 40% of their time in the office, doing a mix of focused tasks such as evaluation reports, other paperwork, and prepping for ASL class, conferences, and teen group events, and having sensitive discussions by phone. Private offices are strongly preferred due to the sensitive nature of some of the phone interactions, and distraction concerns when doing focused tasks. Outreach consultants based elsewhere are in rented office space around the state.

Weekly ASL courses for family members are offered on weekday evenings in the Spring and Fall. These typically have 80-100 participants, requiring a large space where the full class can receive instruction and break into groups for learning activities. The outreach department provides day care during ASL classes for typically 8-15 children. SDSD’s Teen Program includes events held for teens on campus on Saturdays.

SDSD’s summer enrichment program, Hands in Motion, is a half-day program for local students from 18 months through 5th grade. The program is held in July and includes a range of educational activities, crafts, cooking activities, and field trips with a focus on language activities. Students learn songs, perform in skits, and have recess every day. The last week includes students from Rapid City who stay offsite and are fed lunch onsite, currently in the teacher’s lounge. Hands in Motion is currently grant-funded for an enrollment of 30 students, but could grow to 40 students if additional funding was found. An outdoor play area is needed for Hands in Motion recess, and would also be used by families

before or after ASL classes.

SDSD has seen increases in outreach caseload, and in response has increased statewide staff over time from 4 outreach consultants to 12 consultants. SDSD tries to manage each outreach consultant’s caseload to have no more than 40 children. SDSD attributes the growth in outreach services to the high volume of audiological screenings being performed, which identify students in need of SDSD services in addition to newborn referrals provided by hospitals. SDSD expects continued growth, since they are not yet reaching the whole state in terms of identification and services. To date, identification has been tied to main population centers and SDSD has begun reaching previously underserved populations, such as small communities and Native American reservations. SDSD has had 12 new referrals just during the Summer of 2017.

Most children served by SDSD are using an auditory-oral approach. Of the 93 children in the birth-6 program, currently 73 are auditory-oral, 14 use both ASL and auditory-oral, and 1 uses ASL only. Nearly all of the parents that SDSD serves are hearing parents - out of the 537 children served, currently there are only 2 deaf parents. Surveys of SDSD parents indicated that their biggest needs are for more training of local teachers, more opportunities for interaction among parents of deaf children, and more interaction among deaf children. SDSD has built strong connections with hearing parents of deaf children who are greatly in need of their supportive services for educational training, ASL instruction, and social/networking opportunities with other families of deaf/hard of hearing students.



Existing oversized outreach consultant office/testing spaces (in old classrooms)

Existing family room for evaluations

Existing Hands in Motion Classroom

Existing Teen Room

Existing well-utilized Resource Room



SPACE CRITERIAThe spreadsheet and diagrams on the following pages illustrate the ideal space needs for SDSD’s Sioux Falls operations. These are based on right-sizing spaces to meet functional needs and typical space standards, since many of SDSD’s functions are currently located in spaces that were not designed for that function and are not sized appropriately. The space diagrams are drawn to scale using typical furniture in order to illustrate the functional needs and size of each space. Since these are program diagrams rather than a design, the actual proportion or configuration of these spaces could vary and still meet the needs of the space program.

Some of the key considerations underlying the proposed spaces include:• Creating standard sized offices that

align with the functional needs of the position, so that staff roles which require higher amounts of material storage or in-office meetings have larger offices, and other offices are held to the minimal 120sf office size.

• Creating meeting/conference spaces with deaf-friendly layouts that enable seating in the round with sightlines for signed communication, lipreading, and ASL interpreting

• Separating functions to be more efficient and functional. Currently Outreach consultants use old classrooms of approximately 700sf as a combination office and evaluation room. Separating this into a typical office and typical evaluation room would reduce square footage, minimize distraction during evaluations, and allow the evaluation areas to be for other purposes much of the year.

• Enabling larger spaces to serve multiple purposes to improve space utilization.

PROGRAMspace needs

Since most of SDSD’s on-campus programs are offered on specific schedules rather than daily, a single space can be used as an evaluation session family room during the school year, a teen program room on Saturdays, and a Hands in Motion classroom during the summer.

Right-sizing the spaces would enable the total area occupied by SDSD to be reduced from approximately 31,466sf to either 21,850sf (based on SDSD’s preferred configuration of spaces and generous TARE factor) or 18,353sf (based on a slightly reduced program and more efficient TARE factor) as shown in the numeric program options. This includes accommodating all of the existing functions, and creating a small public museum that celebrates the school’s history and the history of the deaf community in South Dakota. As discussed in the next section of this report, there are multiple scenarios that may be worth considering, each of which could require a slightly different adaptation of the proposed space program.

RELATION TO ESTABLISHED SPACE STANDARDSSince SDSD requires a mixture of typical office spaces, and specialized space for functions such as Audiology and classrooms for deaf education, there is not a single, comprehensive space standard that covers all of the needed spaces, and established standards vary widely from state to state. For this reason, the proposed space sizes were based on user interviews and functional scale diagrams. However, a number of relevant standards were compared to the proposed program to ensure that the proposed spaces were reasonable.

Classroom Standards

Classroom spaces for the Hands in Motion summer program are proposed at 750sf for 8-12 students per room, age 18 months through 5th grade. Standards specific to schools for the deaf typically have more square feet per student than traditional schools to account for deaf-friendly practices such as seating in the round.

Classroom standards for schools for the deaf include:• The Arizona School Facilities Board

requires a minimum of 150sf/student for preschool and 100sf/student through 6th grade for schools for the deaf and blind, which is which is significantly larger than what is proposed for SDSD.

• The New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority requires preschools for the deaf to provide 110sf/student, but not less than 450 net sf, and elementary classrooms to provide 80sf/student, but not less than 450 net sf. This is larger than what is proposed for SDSD.

Standards for typical elementary school classrooms range from state to state:• Arizona: minimum of 28sf/student• Colorado: minimum of 675sf or 30-32sf/

student• Texas: minimum of 700sf or 32sf/student • Virginia: minimum of 800sf• North Carolina: minimum of 850-1,000sf• Ohio: minimum of 900sf• California: minimum of 960sf

Administration Standards

Most schools for hearing students do not include specialized spaces for programs such as outreach and audiology. Two formally adopted standards for special school administrative spaces are summarized below.



Arizona:• 150sf for school administrator. • For general administrative purposes and

additional 7.5sf/student is required, with a minimum of 150sf and a maximum of 2,500sf.

• Faculty workspace equal to one square foot per student with a minimum of 150sf and a maximum of 800sf.

• A 9,500sf facility used for the administration shall also be available.

• Minimum facilities required to support audiology program requirements at a ratio of five square feet per student.

• Minimum facilities required to support auditory training and speech therapy program requirements at a ratio of three square feet per student.

• Distance learning classroom required to support ASDB program requirements at a minimum of 600 square foot separate/dedicated space for teaching to satellite, remote, and shared schools.

New Mexico:• Administrative space shall consist of

a minimum of 150 net sf, plus 5 net sf/student of the planned school program capacity.

• Counseling space shall consist of 250 net sf plus 2 net sf/student of the planned school program capacity.

• Therapy space shall consist of 225 net sf plus 8 net sf/student of the planned school program capacity.

• Teacher lounge shall consist of 5 net sf/student of the planned school program capacity with no less than 150 net sf.

More generalized administration standards for typical schools may be applied to common spaces such as offices and workrooms:

Colorado:• Small office: 120sf• Large office: 150sf• Workroom: 250sf each, may need

multiple• Conference: 240sf for 12-15 occupants

Virginia prototype elementary program:• Principal office: 200sf• Secretary office: 100sf• Guidance offices: 100-200sf• Waiting area: 200-300sf• Workroom: 200-400sf• Teacher’s Lounge: 150-350sf• Conference Room: 200sf• Itinerant offices: 100-200sf• Finance office: 100-200sf

North Carolina:• Principal: 150-200sf• Reception: 200-400sf• Secretary: 100-150sf• Workroom: 200sf• Conference Room: 200sf• Guidance: 300-450sf• Counselor office: 100-150sf• Group Teacher office: 80-100sf/person• Itinerant Workspace: 80-100sf/person• Workroom: 300sf minimum• Lounge: 300sf minimum• Student Testing, Speech and Guidance

Rooms: 200sf

Many state standards contain only generic language for administrative spaces instead of numeric standards, since staffing can vary widely:• California: The administrative office

shall have sufficient square footage to accommodate the number of staff for

the maximum enrollment school district and shall be designed to efficiently conduct the administrative functions.

• Virginia: the following minimum spaces should be provided where required: General Office with clerical workstations, Finance Office, Waiting Room, Principal’s Office, Assistant Principal’s Office(s), Guidance Office(s), General Storage for supplies and books, Workroom, Coat Closet, Staff Toilet(s), Fire Resistive Record Storage, Conference Room, Other Administrative Offices as applicable, Secure Storage Area

Given the large range in formally adopted standards and the unique nature of SDSD’s programs, it is difficult to make a one-to-one comparison. However, SDSD offices are proposed at 120sf, 150sf, or 180sf - all within typical offices sizes in commercial facilities, and per these standards.



South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD)Preliminary Space Program - Ideal Program vs Minimal Program

Function # Spaces

SF Required

Total SF Notes Utilization Function # Spaces

SF Required

Total SF Notes

Administration AdministrationSuperintendent's Office 1 180 180 Private office with small table Year-round,

approx 50% timeSuperintendent's Office 1 180 180

HR Director's Office 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs Year-round, approx 50% time

HR/Business Office (Shared) 1 200 200

Business Manager's - Office 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs Year-round, approx 50% time

Accountant's Office 1 180 180 Private office with guest chairs, files, safe Year-round, approx 90% time

Accountant's Office 1 180 180

Workroom 1 180 180 Used by admin and other staff, plus mailslots for all staff

Year-round, as needed

Workroom 1 180 180

Conference Room - 15 person 1 565 565 Requires deaf-friendly seating in the round, a/v technology


Conference Room - 15 person 1 565 565

Audiology AudiologyAudiologist's Office - Onsite Clinic 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs (located adjacent

to booth and consultation area and lab)Year-round, approx 20% time

Audiologist's Office - Onsite Clinic 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs

Audiologist's Office - Mobile Clinic 1 180 180 Private office with meeting table and storage Year-round, approx 20% time

Audiologist's Office - Mobile Clinic 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs

Audiology Tech 1 240 240 2 workstations in a shared office with a scanner and files

Year-round, approx 20% time


Audiology Booth & Consultation 1 400 400 Used mainly by onsite audiologist to test students, often with family members present. Includes 4-person round table outside of booth for consultation. (New booth approx 186sf)



Audiology Lab/Workroom 1 120 120 Used mainly by onsite audiologist, to check and fix hearing aids, ear molds, etc.



Audiology Storage Room 1 100 100 For bulk forms and seasonal storage of electrical equipment from mobile lab

Year-round Audiology Storage Room 1 100 100 For bulk forms and seasonal storage of electrical equipment from mobile lab

Audiology File Room 1 100 100 For archived hard copy forms that require access by multiple people, TBD if fireproof file cabinets are required

Year-round Audiology File Room 1 100 100 For archived hard copy forms that require access by multiple people

Outreach OutreachDirector's Office 1 180 180 Private office with meeting table and storage Year-round,

approx 90% timeDirector's Office 1 150 150 Private office with guest chairs and storage

Coordinator's Office 1 180 180 Private office with meeting table and storage Year-round, approx 90% time

Coordinator's Office 1 150 150 Private office with guest chairs and storage

Consultant's Office 7 150 1,050 Private office with guest chairs and storage, 6 existing consultants + 1 additional for growth


Consultant's Office 4 200 800 2=person office with guest chairs and storage, 6 existing consultants + 1 additional for growth

Evaluation Room - 4 person 3 120 360 Private room with 4 person round table and side table/cabinet for test materials

School year Evaluation Room - 4 person 3 120 360 Private room with 4 person round table and side table/cabinet for test materials

Evaluation Room - 6 person 1 250 250 Used for 6-person staff-only meetings after evaluation sessions, doubles as eval room for evals with more participants

School year Evaluation Room - 6 person 1 250 250 Used for 6-person staff-only meetings after evaluation sessions, doubles as eval room for evals with more participants

Testing Materials 1 170 170 Adjacent to testing rooms School year Testing Materials 1 170 170 Adjacent to testing roomsWorkroom 1 250 250 Used by Outreach and Shared Reading staff Year-round Workroom 1 250 250 Used by Outreach and Shared Reading staffResource Room 1 1,200 1,200 Shared materials (books, kits, developmental toys,

etc.)Year-round Resource Room 1 1,200 1,200 Shared materials (books, kits, developmental toys, etc.)

Itinerant Touchdown Office 1 120 120 Used periodically by itinerant psychologist, SLP, and other contract/remote staff while working onsite. 2 touchdown stations

School year Itinerant Touchdown Office 1 120 120 Used periodically by itinerant psychologist, SLP, and other contract/remote staff while working onsite. 2 touchdown stations

Classroom/Family Room/Teen Area 1 750 750 Functions as family room during evaluations sessions, as a teen area on weekends, and as a classroom during summer enrichment

10 days during school, daily in July, Saturdays year-round


Ideal Program: Based on SDSD Preferences Minimal Program: Maximizing Efficiency/Utilization

PROGRAMnumer ic program



Classrooms 3 750 2,250 Used for summer enrichment programs for 18 months - 5th grade, and for daycare during ASL classes, and for special events. May require child restrooms.

Daily in July, weekly in Spring and Fall

Classrooms 2 750 1,500 Used for summer enrichment programs for 18 months - 5th grade, and for daycare during ASL classes, and for special events. May require child restrooms.

Shared Resources Shared ResourcesLobby/Waiting Room/Reception Workstation

1 600 600 Includes workstation/reception desk, 6-8 chairs, coffee bar, and kid's corner


Lobby/Waiting Room/Reception Workstation

1 600 600

Staff Lounge 1 210 210 Accommodate up to 6 staff eating at one time (individual tables preferred over banquette), and kitchenette

Year-round, daily use

Staff Lounge 1 210 210

Large Conference - 80-100 people 1 2,750 2,750 Single, dividable room can be used for daytime meetings/trainings, evening ASL classes, and special conferences and events

Year-round, as scheduled by SDSD and tenants

Large Conference - Divisible into 4 classrooms

1 2,750 2,750 Used for ASL classes, summer enrichment classrooms, staff meetings/trainings, special events

Furniture Storage 2 150 300 Accessed from each half of Large Conference Room

Furniture Storage 2 150 300

Museum/Educational Displays 1 1,500 1,500 Display and storage space for historic items, with additional wall displays in lobby and halls

Museum/Educational Displays 1 1,500 1,500

Support Spaces Support SpacesPhysical Plant Manager 1 150 150 Private office with guest chairs Year-round,

approx 90% timeMaintenance Staff 1 120 120 A new employee in this role would likely have

additional responsibilities, requiring an officeYear-round

Maintenance Files/Storage 1 100 100 General/Furniture Storage 1 200 200 General/Furniture Storage 1 200 200

SUBTOTAL - net spaces 15,295 SUBTOTAL - net spaces 13,765 TARE 5,098 includes hallways, wall thicknesses, restrooms,

janitor's closet, electrical/IT/mechanical rooms, etc.

TARE 4,588

TOTAL - GSF 20,393 Approx 34,820gsf used now TOTAL - GSF 18,353

Exterior Spaces Exterior SpacesParking Day: 20-25 spaces

Evening/event: 80-100 spacesParking Day: 20-25 spaces

Evening/event: 80-100 spacesGarage 1 3,244 3,244 10 typical single-car spaces plus 1 oversized high

bay space for mobile lab and 1 bay for grounds equipment/shop

Garage - Mobile Lab 1 720 720 1 oversized high bay space for mobile lab (other vehicles to be parked in lot)

Play Area Used by summer enrichment program and ASL classes

Play Area Used by summer enrichment program and ASL classes

20,393 Total Main building 18,353 Total Main building23,638 Total Main + Garage 19,073 Total Main + Garage

*Total GSF above based on 25% TARE ratio. A 30% TARE ratio may be more realistic if reconfiguring within the existing building, due to existing inefficiencies in corridor widths and construction.

South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD)Preliminary Space Program - Ideal Program vs Minimal Program

Function # Spaces

SF Required

Total SF Notes Utilization Function # Spaces

SF Required

Total SF Notes

Administration AdministrationSuperintendent's Office 1 180 180 Private office with small table Year-round,

approx 50% timeSuperintendent's Office 1 180 180

HR Director's Office 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs Year-round, approx 50% time

HR/Business Office (Shared) 1 200 200

Business Manager's - Office 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs Year-round, approx 50% time

Accountant's Office 1 180 180 Private office with guest chairs, files, safe Year-round, approx 90% time

Accountant's Office 1 180 180

Workroom 1 180 180 Used by admin and other staff, plus mailslots for all staff


Workroom 1 180 180

Conference Room - 15 person 1 565 565 Requires deaf-friendly seating in the round, a/v technology


Conference Room - 15 person 1 565 565

Audiology AudiologyAudiologist's Office - Onsite Clinic 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs (located adjacent

to booth and consultation area and lab)Year-round, approx 20% time

Audiologist's Office - Onsite Clinic 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs

Audiologist's Office - Mobile Clinic 1 180 180 Private office with meeting table and storage Year-round, approx 20% time

Audiologist's Office - Mobile Clinic 1 120 120 Private office with guest chairs










Audiology Storage Room 1 100 100 For bulk forms and seasonal storage of electrical equipment from mobile lab

Year-round Audiology Storage Room 1 100 100 For bulk forms and seasonal storage of electrical equipment from mobile lab

Audiology File Room 1 100 100 For archived hard copy forms that require access by multiple people, TBD if fireproof file cabinets are required

Year-round Audiology File Room 1 100 100 For archived hard copy forms that require access by multiple people

Outreach OutreachDirector's Office 1 180 180 Private office with meeting table and storage Year-round,

approx 90% timeDirector's Office 1 150 150 Private office with guest chairs and storage

Coordinator's Office 1 180 180 Private office with meeting table and storage Year-round, approx 90% time

Coordinator's Office 1 150 150 Private office with guest chairs and storage

Consultant's Office 7 150 1,050 Private office with guest chairs and storage, 6 existing consultants + 1 additional for growth


Consultant's Office 4 200 800 2=person office with guest chairs and storage, 6 existing consultants + 1 additional for growth

Evaluation Room - 4 person 3 120 360 Private room with 4 person round table and side table/cabinet for test materials

School year Evaluation Room - 4 person 3 120 360 Private room with 4 person round table and side table/cabinet for test materials

Evaluation Room - 6 person 1 250 250 Used for 6-person staff-only meetings after evaluation sessions, doubles as eval room for evals with more participants

School year Evaluation Room - 6 person 1 250 250 Used for 6-person staff-only meetings after evaluation sessions, doubles as eval room for evals with more participants

Testing Materials 1 170 170 Adjacent to testing rooms School year Testing Materials 1 170 170 Adjacent to testing roomsWorkroom 1 250 250 Used by Outreach and Shared Reading staff Year-round Workroom 1 250 250 Used by Outreach and Shared Reading staffResource Room 1 1,200 1,200 Shared materials (books, kits, developmental toys,

etc.)Year-round Resource Room 1 1,200 1,200 Shared materials (books, kits, developmental toys, etc.)

Itinerant Touchdown Office 1 120 120 Used periodically by itinerant psychologist, SLP, and other contract/remote staff while working onsite. 2 touchdown stations

School year Itinerant Touchdown Office 1 120 120 Used periodically by itinerant psychologist, SLP, and other contract/remote staff while working onsite. 2 touchdown stations


10 days during school, daily in July, Saturdays year-round


Ideal Program: Based on SDSD Preferences Minimal Program: Maximizing Efficiency/Utilization



PROGRAMspace d iagrams

Administrat ion



Audio logy



Outreach



Shared Resources



Support Spaces



Potential Space ScenariosWhile the scope of this study is focused on programming and does not include design, the results of the space program can be used to evaluate several potential scenarios, including:• Remaining in existing spaces with no

changes• Consolidating space within the existing

campus without reconfiguring spaces, by accepting some compromises

• Consolidating space within the existing campus, via reconfiguration and renovation

• Constructing a new building on the eastern portion of the campus

• Moving off campus, into rental space or new construction

Remain in Existing Spaces As IsSDSD has a strong desire to remain in their existing space on the SDSD campus in order to maintain a visible presence that is connected to the history of the school. SDSD currently occupies approximately 31,466sf (not including shared service areas) within the 1979 main building, fully occupies the garage, and uses the surface parking lot and playground. Since the western portion of the original campus has already been sold for private development, SDSD occupies a significant portion of the central portion of the original campus, with most of the remaining central area leased for ongoing occupancy or occasional use. The eastern portion of the campus, which has a running track, remains undeveloped and largely unused. This current configuration allows SDSD to lease space only to other state entities and like-minded institutions, since there is no separation between tenant spaces within the main building, or within the site.

The existing SDSD spaces are inefficient, have some functional issues, and are lacking in ideal adjacencies and formal

tenant separation. The advantages of remaining in place include:• Avoiding the need for capital investment

in spatial reconfiguration• Maintaining continuity with the

campus’s history

Disadvantages include:• Inherent inefficiencies in the existing

building, such as wide hallways and large mechanical spaces

• The need to continue to lease existing spaces to multiple tenants, and to like-minded tenants since the space lacks tenant separation

• The need to manage the physical plant of a large, aging campus which will periodically require investment in repairs and system replacement, and requires staff positions to manage the physical plant

SDSD has identified an estimated $2,536,200 in needed repairs within the next 10 years. This number does not factor in escalation in costs over time, which could further increase the needed investment. The major items identified include:• Replace main roof• Replace sidewalks• Repair garage• Replace HVAC equipment• Replace pool equipment• Replace carpet

Under this scenario, it may be possible to consider selling the eastern portion of the campus for development to offset some of these continued costs without disrupting SDSD’s operations and the existing tenant leases.

SPACE SCENARIOSnarrat ive

Existing campus utilization

Existing large mechanical areas



Consolidate without ReconfiguringSDSD currently occupies multiple wings on 2 floors of the main building. It may be possible to condense SDSD’s spaces without investing in reconfiguration by accepting some compromises, such as:• Have the Outreach Director and

Coordinator share one of the existing classroom spaces, to contain 2 open workstations and a small meeting table

• Have 4 of the Outreach Consultants share one of the existing classroom spaces, to contain 4 workstations and storage for each consultant

• Have 2-3 other Outreach Consultants share 1 or 2 additional classrooms during most of the year, and adjust furniture and use as needed to use these 2 classrooms in July for the Hands in Motion summer program

• Hold student evaluations and store evaluation-related testing materials in the small offices along the corridor of these outreach classroom spaces

• Relocate the 2 Audiology techs to the old Audiology Booth area, along with files and storage

• Relocate the Audiologist associated with the mobile lab to the office adjacent to the old booth, which may require closing off a small portion of wall

• Relocate the Physical Plant Manager, Maintenance Staff person, and maintenance file storage to the office and meeting/storage room currently occupied by that Audiologist

This strategy has many of the same advantages and disadvantages as remaining in place as is, as described above. It has the added advantage of freeing up additional building space to lease to other tenants to offset costs, and the added disadvantage of requiring Outreach Consultants to share offices and spaces to change use over the course of the year.

Consolidate with ReconfiguringSDSD currently occupies multiple wings on 2 floors of the main building. Since the true program needs could be accomplished within 21,850sf or less of right-sized space, SDSD could reconfigure some spaceswithin the building. This would allow SDSD to consolidate their spaces and free up additional space to lease to other institutions while still meeting their full functional needs.

However, this option is not recommended since it would require investment in reconfiguration of spaces, which would likely require some wall demolition and construction as well as changes to lighting and HVAC systems. It may be possible to compromise slightly on the ideal space standards, in order to balance the need and budget for reconfiguration against the total square footage needed. But, the existing building would need to be thoroughly evaluated to ensure that changes can be made without triggering additional code-required upgrades. This option has similar advantages and disadvantages as the previous two options, with an added disadvantage of potentially requiring significant upfront capital investment, while still incurring ongoing maintenance and operational costs.

New Building on Eastern CampusSince the western portion of the original campus has already been sold for private development, it may make sense to consider building a new SDSD facility on the eastern portion of the campus and selling the central portion of the campus. This would allow a new building to be constructed to SDSD’s specific needs and the most efficient configuration of spaces, with an estimated 18,353gsf needed. It would also eliminate the need for a Physical Plant Manager on staff and the need to manage and maintain tenants and to invest in the existing aging facilities. It would generate income from the sale of the largest portion of the campus. However, this would require significant capital investment to construct a new facility, and would require a new solution for the other tenants currently leasing space in the building.

Move Off CampusWhile SDSD would strongly prefer to remain on campus, it may make sense to consider relocating SDSD to either newly constructed space or rental space elsewhere in Sioux Falls. This would offer similar financial advantages to the option above, and either an initial capital investment in new construction, or ongoing rental payments if appropriate space can be leased.

Potential to sell the large central area and build a new facility for SDSD on the eastern portion



SPACE SCENARIOSspace d iagrams: current basement

Service, not usable

Currently leased

Currently SDSD



Service, not usable

Currently leased

Currently SDSD

Mainly SDSD, some shared

SPACE SCENARIOSspace d iagrams: current f i rs t f loor



SPACE SCENARIOSspace d iagrams: potent ia l consol idated basement

Service, not usable

Proposed leasable Space



SPACE SCENARIOSspace d iagrams: potent ia l consol idated f i rs t f loor

HR

SUPER

ACCT

CONF

WKRM

AUD

SHARED MEETING

EVAL EVAL

EVAL

EVAL

TM

O/S

O/S

O/S

SHARED MEETING

LOUNGE

CR/DAYCARE/CONSULTANTS

CR/CONSULTANTS

CR/FAMILY/ TEEN

RESOURCE

RESOURCE

OUTREACH OFFICE- 4 Consultants

OUTREACH OFFICE - DIR/COORD

MUSEUM

SHAREDMEETING

SHAREDMEETING

BUS

AUD

SDSD ENTRY

SDSD /SDAD Museum Displays along Hall Leading to MuseumPHYS

PLANT

MAINT

AUD+TECHS +FILES136

430 SF

Service, not usable

Proposed Leasable Space

Proposed SDSD Space

Shared between SDSD & OtherTenants/Renters

7601 Jefferson NE, Suite 100 / Albuquerque, NM 87109 / 505.761.9700 / dpsdesign.org

Conference Report

Project No.: 17-0062 Project: South Dakota School for the Deaf Programming Study Date: 7/31/2017 Place: SDSD Attending: Marje Kaiser, Brad Hansen, Greg King, Kim Wadsworth,

SDSD; Julie Walleisa, D/P/S By: Julie Walleisa Copies To: Parties Present Issue Date: 8/7/2017 Discussion Items: 1. Introduction:

a. Greg = Director of Audiology, focuses on mobile lab. Has staff here and in Rapid City. b. Kim = Director of Outreach, has staff here and in several locations around the state. c. Brad = Physical Plant Manager, and oversees a building maintenance employee and contracted

services. d. Marje = Superintendent e. Julie provided an overview of what programming is, and the deliverables and process for this

programming effort. 2. SDSD evolution:

a. SDSD’s services have evolved over the past 20 years based on a combination of outside factors which have affected SDSD enrollment/demand, and decisions about SDSD operations which have contributed to those changes.

b. SDSD transitioned from a residential program to a day program in 2001, based on declining enrollment. This limited their school programs to serving local students only, and SFSD had their own teacher of the deaf and interpreters, so did not need to send students to SDSD.

c. SDSD transitioned to outreach only model in 2009, after the day program enrollment continued to decline. Auditory-oral students went to Brandon Valley schools, and this program was discontinued after the needs of that batch of students were met and no new students were coming in. ASL students went to Harrisburg schools, but most of these students moved out of state and this program has now dwindled to a single student and may be discontinued.

d. CSD, a private corporation that had a long relationship with SDSD and employed a significant number of deaf adults, relocated from Sioux Falls to Austin, TX in 2012. Many deaf employees followed them to Austin.

e. SDSD stated that some families have moved out of state in order to enroll their child in a full-service school for the deaf.

f. SDSD is concerned that while they are serving significant numbers of children statewide, there is a perception amongst the deaf community and local folks in Sioux Falls that the school is closed and no longer exists. Nearly all of the parents that SDSD serves are hearing parents; out of the 537 children served, currently there are only 2 deaf parents.

g. SDSD has built strong connections with hearing parents of deaf children and tried to overcome this perception through increased program visibility and consistent services.

3. Current services: a. Currently serving 537 students throughout state with outreach services. Audiology provided

14,053 screenings and 4, 918 evaluations this year. Summer enrichment program attendance is limited to 30 students based on the current grant. Educational evaluations are provided for approximately 20 students per year.

b. Outreach numbers have increased over time, and keep increasing. Staff has grown from 4 outreach consultants to 11-12 consultants. SDSD tries to manage each outreach consultant’s caseload to have no more than 40 children. Each child is assigned a level of 1 to 5 to indicate the level of services required, but since consultants cover specific geographic regions to provide


consistent relationships with families and school districts, caseload can’t be easily managed based on differences in severity of need.

c. Outreach provides extensive evaluations of up to 4 students per session, mostly in Sioux Falls but occasionally in Rapid City. Since evaluations require the services of a 5 person team, who also double as outreach consultants, and students can be located anywhere in the state, it is not feasible to have staff travel to conduct evaluations.

d. Outreach staff work with students from birth through transition, so there are no dedicated transition staff. No data is available on transition outcomes of students served by SDSD programs.

e. This growth seems directly related to the high volume of audiological screenings being performed, which identify students in need of SDSD services. The hospitals will also provide referrals for newborns. SDSD expects continued growth, since they are not yet reaching the whole state in terms of identification and services.

f. Mobile audiology services have evolved and expanded. SDSD started with a trailer, purchased the large truck-based lab 2-3 years ago, and now have an office and trailer in Rapid City as well as the main mobile unit and the onsite clinic in Sioux Falls.

g. SDSD is the primary screener throughout the state, and provides audiological screenings for students from birth through age 21 or receipt of a high school diploma. If a district is able to provide screening themselves, SDSD is typically still involved in the evaluation and reviews the results.

h. To date, identification has been tied to population centers (more students in Sioux Falls) and reaching previously underserved populations, such as small communities and Native American reservations. SDSD staff are getting involved with local community organizations, which helps identify younger children. They have had 12 new referrals just during Summer 2017.

i. Most children served by SDSD are auditory-oral. Of the 93 children in the birth-6 program, currently 73 are auditory-oral, 14 use both ASL and auditory-oral, and 1 uses ASL only. SDSD has not seen a lot of students with auditory processing disorders.

j. The Hands in Motion summer enrichment program is offered during the month of July. It is a day program that serves students in and around Sioux Falls, but during the last week of the program students from Rapid City come and stay in Augustana University dorms. Students from 18 months through 5th grade attend the program and are separated by age into 3 groups.

4. Future services/staffing: a. SDSD does not anticipate going back to operating as a full-service PK-12 school. b. Surveys of SDSD parents indicated that their biggest needs are more training of local teachers,

more opportunities for interaction among parents of deaf children, and more interaction among deaf children. These are key components of the Outreach program.

c. Outreach is currently working on filling a vacant consultant position and plans to add 1 more consultant in the western portion of the state, but this would not affect space needs on the Sioux Falls campus.

d. Audiology may add staff in the middle of the state at some point, but this would not affect space needs on the Sioux Falls campus.

e. SDSD is committed to continuing to offer the summer enrichment program. Hands in Motion is currently grant-funded by the Department of Education, through Parent Connection, for 30 children. SDSD may pursue different funding sources in the future.

f. It is important to SDSD to continue to offer Hands in Motion on campus, rather than at another nearby school facility, in order to have access to all of SDSD’s materials and staff and maintain the program’s identity and connection to SDSD.

g. There has been some interest in offering some type of preschool program in Sioux Falls. This was attempted, but attracted only 4 families, possibly due to logistical challenges of offering this during the workday, with no transportation provided.

h. SDSD believes it is important to continue to offer ASL services and not shift to entirely auditory-oral.

i. The existing SDSD spaces have some deaf-friendly spaces and characteristics, but are lacking in some typical features such as conference rooms designed for seating in the round for better sightlines for signed communication, visual doorbells, visual emergency notification systems, etc.

5. Facility needs:


a. SDSD requires garage parking for at least 9 state vehicles and the mobile audiology lab.

b. Departmental spaces should be located together, and SDSD would like to maintain close relationships between departments.

c. Most daily traffic is to Audiology, which sees several families per day at the onsite clinic. Outreach traffic is high for evening sign language classes, and includes several families during evaluations. At other times Outreach has low traffic, with just 1 or 2 people coming into consultant offices over time.

This report is assumed to be a true and accurate account of this communication unless notice to the contrary is

received within 10 calendar days of issue.

End of Report


Conference Report

Project No.: 17-0062 Project: South Dakota School for the Deaf Programming Study Date: 8/1/2017 Place: SDSD Attending: Marje Kaiser, Brad Hansen, Greg King, Kim Wadsworth,

Nancy McKenzie, SDSD; Julie Walleisa, D/P/S By: Julie Walleisa Copies To: Parties Present Issue Date: 8/7/2017 Discussion Items: Administration/Shared Resources (Marje and Nancy) 1. Nancy = Accountant, full-time onsite employee in charge of bills, accounting, etc. 2. SDSD anticipates that the Superintendent will likely remain a part-time position, shared with SDSBVI. 3. Superintendent office requires a private office with a meeting table. 4. Accountant requires a private office with space for files and a small safe.

a. Others do not need access to these files. b. Nancy currently uses a separate storage room for older files, but this may not be needed. c. Accountant has traffic from staff and outside vendors.

5. The Business Manager (Claudean) and Director of HR (Deb) currently share an office, but this is not appropriate for these roles going forward. Each requires a private office. Claudean performs mainly online review of financial documents.

6. The receptionist/secretary (Lisa) requires an open workstation within the lobby, configured to oversee both the entry doors and the waiting area.

7. The main waiting room typically needs to accommodate 1 family at a time (while waiting for an Audiology appointment) or adults waiting for a meeting. Several chairs and a kid’s corner are required.

8. Maintenance should have a private office for Brad, who maintains key files and meets with people. A separate space is needed for Harlyn, which could be a small touchdown space since he is rarely in the office and uses a computer only to do timesheets. There are also maintenance files currently in the basement. Specific needs will be discussed further with Brad.

9. The staff lounge/breakroom should accommodate 5-6 staff eating at one time, with a kitchenette and 2 individual tables (tables preferred over banquette).

a. So that staff can have privacy in the lounge, a small coffee bar should be provided near the conference room or waiting room.

b. The current lounge doubles as a good setup area for the large meeting room. There is a kitchenette in the meeting room, but food needs to be prepped in a separate space to avoid disrupting meetings. This will require further thought, depending on the conference room solution.

10. 1 workroom is required for Administration/general use, to include a copier, typical office equipment, supply storage, staff mailboxes, etc. Outreach staff should have access to a separate workroom, due to the number of staff and the need to keep some supplies dedicated for outreach use.

11. SDSD has a lot of historic papers and objects in storage in the basement, and display cases along the hall. SDSD would like to display these more like museum exhibits, which could be incorporated into the lobby and halls or gathered in a dedicated space.

12. Meeting space needs: a. A 15-person conference room with technology is required for many different internal and external

meetings. This should have a round, deaf-friendly configuration with flexible furniture. b. ASL classes have 80-100 participants, who break into groups for activities, and move around to

different stations. The space for this needs to be large enough to accommodate seating in rows and activity stations/groupings. Family ASL classes are all ages, held in the evening, with a separate space used for daycare of children too young to want to participate.


c. Teen night is held on the weekend. 13. SDSD does not typically transport people for events. If needed, this is

done by contracting with a bus company. Outreach (Kim) 1. Consultants based elsewhere are in rented office space around the state. There is currently a vacant position

in Pierre, and SDSD needs to add 1 consultant in Rapid City. 2. Sioux Falls has the Director (Kim) + Coordinator (Laura) + 6 outreach consultants, for a total of 8 staff. It

would be prudent to plan for 1 additional position based on Sioux Falls, which could be an ASL specialist or another consultant.

a. Consultants are in their offices approximately 40% of the time. In-office time includes paperwork, evaluation reports, and prepping for things like ASL class, conferences, teen group, etc.

b. Consultants have few face-to-face meetings in their office, they are mostly doing either highly focused tasks on the computer or talking by phone. Private offices are strongly preferred due to the sensitive nature of some of the phone interactions, and distraction concerns when doing focused tasks.

c. The Director and Coordinator require a small meeting table within their office. 3. The evaluation team is composed mainly of outreach consultants for whom this is an additional responsibility.

There are additional itinerant/contract staff: a psychologist is part of the evaluation team, and SDSD contracts periodically with an SLP from Brandon, in addition to Laura’s role with Spoken Language Learning.

a. SDSD does not anticipate bring a psychologist on staff or changing the evaluation team model. b. Some office or touchdown space is needed for outside contractors to use while working onsite.

4. Evaluations are conducted as follows: a. Typically 4 students evaluated per session, with student and family onsite for 2 full days.

Evaluations can be an initial evaluation of an annual or 3-year re-evaluation. Most are full scope evaluations, but sometimes partial evaluations are done.

b. 5 sessions are scheduled for the next year (Sept 11-13, Oct 23-24, Dec 4-6, Feb 5-7, Mar 26-28), so a total of about 20-23 students can be evaluated.

c. Some school districts conduct their own evaluations for auditory-oral students, and only work with the SDSD team for students using ASL. The local district sets up the evaluation and coordinates with the parents.

d. Within the evaluation/testing room, there would typically be the student and the evaluator. There may also be an interpreter, and/or parents, and/or a 2nd evaluator (for students that use a mix of ASL and speech).

e. Since most consultants currently use large classrooms as office space, some are performing evaluations at tables within this space (alongside their own desk and materials), and some within the attached office space.

f. Each evaluation room should have a round table for 4 people, and a side table or cabinet for temporary storage of testing items. Laptops are used during some evaluations.

g. Each evaluator may meet briefly with parents after individual tests to provide a short verbal report and answer questions. The day after evaluations end, all evaluators meet together with an interpreter – a 6-person round table is needed for this meeting.

h. Evaluators then write up detailed evaluation reports, and a meeting is held with the parents. These are held offsite, at the students’ school, with evaluators attending in person or conferencing in remotely.

i. The current evaluation environments seem potentially distracting; consider having separate evaluation rooms, or more separate/defined if they remain within the consultants’ spaces.

j. A family room is needed for families to occupy during the 2 days of testing. They may bring young siblings along, and the students being tested may be in here for brief periods before or between testing sessions. This area should encourage interaction between families, and provide options for lounging/tv watching, working on work or an activity at a table, etc. along with a coffee bar and children’s area.

5. Summer enrichment program/Hands in Motion: a. The program is currently limited to 30 students, but could grow to 40 students if additional funding

was found. b. This is a half-day program for local students, held in July, that includes a range of educational

activities, crafts, cooking activities, field trips, etc. with a focus on language activities. Students learn songs, perform in skits, and have recess every day.


c. The last week includes students from Rapid City who stay offsite and are fed lunch onsite, currently in the teacher’s lounge.

d. Currently 3 classrooms are used for this program, and Outreach would like to plan for a 4th classroom. An outdoor play area is needed for Hands in Motion recess, and would also be used by families before or after ASL classes.

e. Outreach provides daycare during ASL classes. This typically consists of 8-15 children and 2-3 Augustana students plus 1 staff member, so up to 15 children and 4 adults. This could be held in a classroom that is used for summer enrichment.

6. Workroom and Resource Room: a. Outreach currently has a large resource room with some workroom-type area within it, has

converted a classroom into a makeshift workroom, and there are a lot of resources stored within individual consultants’ areas.

b. Ideally items that are not owned by individual consultants should be stored together for shared access. SDSD currently has different checkout systems in place for resource room materials, shared reading materials, and new literacy kits. If possible, it may be ideal to streamline that.

c. A workroom that is separate from the Resource Room is needed. 7. The entire statewide outreach staff meet together about 3 times per year, for 2 days each time. Need space

for 13 staff, 2 interpreters, and speakers such as audiologists and vendors. 8. Parking:

a. ASL classes may require over 80 parking spaces – some family members come together and some arrive separately because they are coming from work.

b. Kim, Laura, and Sarah currently share 1 state car, and the other outreach consultants each use a designated state car.

Audiology (Greg) 1. SDSD currently has 2 audiologists and 2 technicians onsite, and expect this to remain the same in the future.

Any growth in Audiology would occur elsewhere in the state. a. Greg focused on the mobile lab, and Sarah on the onsite clinic. b. The 2 technicians support both audiologists with scheduling, ordering, paperwork, etc. from their

offices, and have very little contact with clients. They work together a lot and coordinate to scan everything from the mobile lab screenings and evaluations.

c. SDSD is planning to move the 2 techs to a location together in admin, from 2 dispersed areas in the existing building.

d. The audiologists are part of the evaluation team, so they will use the evaluation rooms and consulting area in that department.

2. The mobile audiology lab is currently secured in an offsite garage due to its size, which adds to staff travel time every time it is used. SDSD would strongly prefer to house it onsite.

a. The mobile lab is used 4-5 times per week, and is busiest during the school year. 95-97% of the screenings conducted by SDSD are conducted by the mobile lab.

b. A fenced area is not sufficient to protect the lab from vandalism and winter weather. c. The lab has a 26’ long by 13’ tall truck box and an overall length of 41’. d. The lab is operated all year (weather permitting), but electronic equipment frequently has to be

brought inside the building during the winter to prevent damage. e. A storage area is needed for temporary equipment storage, and to store bulk forms and other

supplies. Greg orders 10,000 triplicate forms at a time, which are filled out by hand and then scanned, due to issues experienced with trying to do this digitally and printing within the mobile lab.

f. If a child fails the screening, Greg can do an immediate evaluation, leave copies of the form with the school and parents, and bring a copy back to SDSD to be scanned by the techs for follow-up.

3. Onsite audiology clinic: a. SDSD just purchased and installed a new audiology booth, which is located within a suite with

Sarah’s workstation, a small consulting table, and a small lab/workroom. b. SDSD encourages parents/siblings to be in the booth with the child being tested, and may also

bring in interpreters for ASL or Spanish. c. A small lab is sufficient, for 1 person to perform short-term tasks like checking earmolds, fixing

hearing aids, and setting tubes.


d. The onsite clinic sees 5-6 children per day, with roughly 1-hour long appointments to conduct an evaluation and write a report.

e. SDSD’s receptionist conducts an initial phone interview and gives parents paperwork upon arrival. The audiologist does a brief interview, then tests the child within the booth, then does a brief verbal report before doing the written report. The consulting is currently done right within the booth or at a 4 person table in the room.

4. Files: a. SDSD keeps all hard copy forms for at least 1 year. After a year, the normal screening results are

shredded. b. Files are kept in a separate room so they can be accessed by the audiologists, techs,

receptionist, or outreach consultants as needed. c. Greg does not believe these are required to be double-locked or kept in fireproofed cabinets.

5. Parking: a. Audiology typically only has about 2 families onsite at one time, for overlapping appointment

timeslots. b. The 2 technicians take a state car when traveling with the mobile lab, and leave their cars in the

garage. Physical Plant/Maintenance (Brad) 1. Brad = Physical Plant Manager, Harlyn = Building Maintenance worker.

a. Brad is currently in a private office with guest chairs, but would prefer to have a private office with a meeting table and more storage. He typically meets with contractors, vendors, and visitors in a conference room.

b. Files and blueprints are kept separately, there are files stored in the main building’s basement and plans stored in the Gym basement. Brad would prefer to have stacked flat files within his office for plans.

c. Brad currently uses an old dorm room as an emergency apartment to stay on campus during some snow events.

d. Harlyn is rarely in his office, a small touchdown area would be sufficient for periodic access to a computer to do timesheets.

2. Current operations: a. SDSD does their own lawn mowing, but contracts out snow removal and other needs. b. SDSD does not do any vehicle maintenance or onsite car washing; they are not allowed to do

either since they are state fleet vehicles. c. SDSD currently uses a corner of the garage as a grounds shop, with mowers, sweeper, etc. and

stores oil and gas in a different area. They also store equipment in a 2nd garage by the track, and have a 6-wheeled cart.

d. SDSD purchases snowmelt by the palette and stores it for use by SDSD maintenance and outside contractors.

e. The campus has a central plant in the basement of the Gym building, with air handling units located in the basement of the main building.

f. Much of Brad and Harlyn’s roles are directly related to having a large campus with multiple buildings, tenant spaces, a central plant, and large grounds.

3. Parking: a. Staff – probably 17-20, during the day b. Visitors – typically 2 families for audiology, possibly other folks for meetings or contract staff. 4

additional families during evaluation c. ASL classes are held after hours and require 80-100 spaces, but may not overlap with other

visitors and most staff.



End of Report


Conference Report

Project No.: 17-0062 Project: South Dakota School for the Deaf Programming Study Date: 8/15/2017 Place: Via Conference Call Attending: Marje Kaiser, Brad Hansen, Kim Wadsworth, Nancy

McKenzie, SDSD; Julie Walleisa, D/P/S By: Julie Walleisa Copies To: Parties Present, Greg King Issue Date: 8/20/2017 Discussion Items: 1. This call focused on reviewing and refining the draft program of spaces, in preparation for onsite meetings on

August 29-30 (staff meetings Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon, Board of Regents meeting scheduled for Wednesday morning). Attendees reviewed a draft numeric program and space diagrams.

2. Administration: a. After further discussion with Deb and Claudean, it may make sense to change to a

shared/touchdown office since both will likely remain part-time and do not maintain physical files. b. The rest of the Administration spaces should remain as proposed.

3. Audiology: a. Greg was not available today and may have more comments after reviewing this. b. D/P/S will modify the shared office diagram to show the scanning station and white boards.

4. Outreach: a. The consultant offices will work as shown, having 1-2 guest chairs will allow for collaboration

between consultants. b. D/P/S will change the Coordinator’s office to 180sf. c. D/P/S will modify the Family Room to have a little coffee bar within the room rather than access to

an adjacent kitchen, to avoid having non-staff members access the kitchen. It is feasible to use the Family Room for multiple purposes as proposed, so it functions as a Family Room during evaluations, as a Teen Room on Saturdays, and as a classroom during the summer program.

d. SDSD has used 4 classrooms in the past for the summer program, with the fourth used as an arts room or special theme room. SDSD would prefer to have a 4th classroom to provide flexibility or enable program expansion, if feasible.

5. Shared Resources: a. Storage space is needed for bulk disposables and large coffee pots for larger events, either in the

staff lounge or nearby. b. In the large conference room, ASL classes may divide into 4 centers of 10-18 people each, to

play a game or do an activity. D/P/S will revise the sample layouts based on this understanding. c. SDSD occasionally holds a remote ASL class in the evening in the DDN (Dakota Digital Network)

room, but this can be scheduled for a different night or in a different space than the in-person ASL classes.

d. SDSD is not sure if the facility can have more than 1 DDN space, this may be a licensing/cost issue. SDSD will check into this, to see if it would be possible to outfit multiple spaces or use a portable setup (laptop or computer on cart) to enable SDSD to use DDN from different spaces depending on the scale of the meeting.

e. SDSD would very much like to have a museum similar to the NMSD example shown, as many schools for the deaf have, that is visible and accessible to the deaf community.

f. Some of the archival items belong to SDSD and some below to the Association for the Deaf, to cover both the history of the school and the Association. If SDSD stays on campus, Marje thinks the Association would likely remain as well.

6. Support Spaces:


a. D/P/S will change Brad’s office to a 150sf office in order to have a meeting table within his space.

b. The separate storage room will have both flat files and vertical files.

c. While the current maintenance worker does not need an office, SDSD would like to plan for the future by having a 120sf office, since a new employee in this role would likely have additional responsibilities.

d. If SDSD relocates to rental space, it is likely that neither of the physical plant/maintenance offices would be needed.

e. If SDSD remains in place with a full campus to maintain, a space for maintenance equipment is needed in the garage, similar to what is used now. If SDSD moves to a new, owned building, Brad would like to have a maintenance shop space.

7. Next steps: a. D/P/S will revise the spreadsheet and diagrams based on this discussion. b. This can be reviewed on the 29th/30th, along with discussion about scenarios for how these space

needs could be accommodated in existing or new space.



End of Report

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